Justice Department Announces Grants to Reduce Sexual Violence on College Campuses

• The grants will help colleges shape prevention policies, train campus police, and offer services to survivors.
• Historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal colleges and universities are among some of the institutions receiving the grants.
• Of the $21.72 million in grants, more than $11 million will go toward engaging men and boys as allies in preventing sexual violence.

The Department of Justice will send roughly $21.72 million to colleges across the country to help reduce sexual assault and domestic violence — and to engage men and boys as allies.

The grants are split into two categories, according to a Department of Justice release: Addressing and preventing domestic violence on campuses, and engaging men and boys to be role models and work toward eliminating sexual and domestic violence.

Thirty-six grants totaling $10,688,200 will go toward preventing domestic violence and sexual assault on college campuses, and 25 grants totaling $11,031,653 will go toward engaging men and boys as allies, according to the release.

“We need to support college campuses with the resources to create a campus culture that is not tolerant of sexual assault or dating violence”
— Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General

"Studies show that approximately one in five women surveyed have been victimized by sexual assault while in college," Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in the release. "We need to support college campuses with the resources to create a campus culture that is not tolerant of sexual assault or dating violence."

The grants will help colleges shape their prevention policies, offer services to survivors, train campus police, and engage young adults to combat violence, Gupta said.

Some of the recipients of the campus awards include historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), and tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), according to the release.

Allison Randall, acting director of the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, underscored the importance of serving HBCUs, HSIs and TCUs.

"We recognize that HBCUs, HSIs and TCUs face unique issues and challenges in preventing and responding to campus violence and we're honored to work with grantees in 2023 and in the years to come to support survivors," Randall said in the release. "We're grateful to announce these awards during September when we are celebrating National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week and in recognition of the National HBCU Week conference held by the White House."